


In The Grove of the Goddess

by DeadDireWolf



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Smut, pagan au, religions of Zootopia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:10:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7684042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadDireWolf/pseuds/DeadDireWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick is finally meeting Judy's parents, but is he prepared for the ancient rituals of the Lapine peoples?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the grove

This was not how Nick expected to spend a Saturday night on the Hopps farm. Or any Saturday for that matter. He wasn't a prude, he took Tai'chi classes at Mystic Springs for two years! So why was he suddenly so self conscious about being nude? He walked forward slowly, passing through the manicured copse of trees to the small pond. In front of him was a bunny, dressed in a diaphanous gown, looking like an Amazon goddess despite her diminutive stature. She wore a laurel of fig leafs, and the gown accentuated rather than hide her rubenesque figure. She held her paws out to him, and he walked forward hesitantly.

**“Nicolas Piberius Wilde, come forth and know me better son.”** The goddess called him, and he went. He walked into the pond until he was within reach of her paws. She pulled him gently down until he was kneeling in the spring, water lapping around his waist. The silk of her gown swirled around and embraced him as her paws moved to cup his chin, forcing his gaze up.

She was haloed in the moonlight, her silver fur seemed luminous, as if shinning with an inner light. She was smiling, that was a good sign, right?

“You come as an outlander, foreigner to our ways and customs, and you seek to court our daughter.” Her paws were gentle on his chin, but he knew without a doubt if she changed her grip she could strangle him. He wasn't sure he could resist. “Why do you believe you are worthy outlander?”

Nick swallowed. “We have shared _keff,_ your daughter saved my life and has lead me out of the darkness.”

The beatific smile was at once kind and hard. How did such a small soft bunny manage that? “She is a daughter of Frejya, we expect no less from her. Why are you worthy?”

“Together we solved the mystery of the night-howlers, we uncovered a caprine conspiracy to rule the city of unity, and brought peace to the restless.” Nick wanted to leap up, to flee from this madness. He knew he was stronger and faster than this soft bunny, but he was held in place as if by iron bonds.

“I ask a third time, but never again. Why are YOU worthy?” Nick heard the bunnies silently leaving the shore to join the goddess, forming a circle around him. Behind him he smelt a particularly stout hare reeking of oil and steel.

“Because I love her. She is half of my soul, and I would sooner tear out my own heart than ever hurt her. I would take her burdens as my own, add my joy to her own, and run besides her even if we chase Loki.” Nick swallowed again. “I would stand besides her against the very hordes of Hel.”

Farm hardened hands wrapped around the back of his head, pulling him to her bosom. He noted with some shock that she was not nearly as covered as he had thought. _'Great, I'm nuzzling the teats of Judy's mom, while her dad stands a pace behind me. I am one dead fox.'_ He felt her rub her chin across the crown of his head, down one ear and then the other. Still she pressed him to her bosom, and he felt a hard nub pressed against his lips. Gingerly he gave the nub a tiny lick, and was rewarded with a splash of warm fragrant milk. The goddess shuddered, and she eased the pressure on his head.

A warmth coursed though his body, bunnies pressed around him on all sides, tiny paws reaching out and caressing him, murmuring words he only half understood.

**“Family... keff... brother... son... aesir... clandath...”**

The stout farmer took his place besides his wife. He handed her a birch switch.

The first blow stung, he curled forward, pressing his nose to the surface of the water. The second and third blows smarted, but he had their measure.

“No more shall this one be outlander, let all know he is by the old traditions Aesir, mate of the protector, blessed of the spirits.” Soft paws dragged him to his feet. For the first time tonight he saw her, Judy of the violet eyes, sky clad and shameless before the spirits. She sprung into his arms, clasping him in her shockingly strong grasp. She was energetically rubbing her chin across his breast.

“As the goddess has claimed his brow, let the aesir see that Judith has claimed his heart!” Judy was rubbing her body against him, increasingly he was having a hard time keeping his sheath under control. What was expected? Did her family expect him to take her here, in full sight of her clan and kin?

She was here, warm and soft and naked in his arms. She was murmuring sweet nothings into his ear, taking tiny, delicate bites of his collar. One hand shifted down, grasping her firm rump and pulling her just a little bit higher.

“Nick... Please..” She is a close to begging as she ever will be. He knows if he hesitates even an instant the spell will be broken.

His single favorite part was always when her first penetrates her. That singular moment he slips inside of her and two flesh become one. She makes this little noise every time. Half sigh, half gasp, he simply called it the Judy sound. They go slow. With the difference in size, they have no other choice. She slides as far down him as she can, and when she can take no more, she gives him the single most complete and total hug of his life. With her arms, wrapped around his barrel. With her mouth, biting his neck so hard it almost hurts _'never, she could never hurt you'._ With her sex, welcoming him into her most secret place.

There is only so long they can simply sit and soak in each other. She moves first, sliding along his length, stopping just short of freeing him, then sinking back down. The first few are slow, almost agonizing. It is pure, exquisite torture. No vixen ever did this for him, no vixen ever could do these wonderful, erotic things for him. To him. With him.

As she bottoms on him he takes control for just a moment. He pushes her down, beginning to spread her on his knot, until he hears her gasp. This is as far as she can go, for tonight at least. When she releases his neck he captures her mouth with his, pulling her into a deep, soul rending kiss. He wonders how many times this rabbit will make him fall in love with her.

She begins to move again, as she begins to find her rhythm he bucks his hips into her. When he controls the lovemaking it is slow, tender, full of kisses and affirmations of love. When she takes the lead it is primal, almost savage, and full of the passion they feel for each other.

She surges against him, crashing in with the fury of the tide before slowly pulling back. He almost regrets when she does this, he can only last a few minutes before he will be spent. He feels his fall rapidly approaching, so he grasps her and forces her down on him. Her call to the heavens is in no language save that of their primal ancestors. He darts forward, catching her in his jaws.

_'Mine!'_ His hindbrain, his reptilian instinct, claims her. She shudders against him, as he holds her in his jaws she climaxes, riding the wave as her orgasm surges through her.

As she descends from her high she reaches down with both paws, finding his knot and squeezing, trusting him not to drop her. He finally crests, reaching the peak she has so ardently worked him to.

Orgasming inside her is definitely his favorite part. He lets go of her shoulder so he can see the look of bliss on her face. His knees are shaking, so he slowly, carefully sinks down until he is once again sitting in the shallow pond.

Judy lays back languidly, his cock is still buried in her sex _'her cunt, my bunny's cunt'_ , she is floating in the water and it looks like she is willing to stay like this forever. He is not tied to her, they haven't been able to get that far yet _'give me time'_ his inner Judy says, but she knows he wants to relish in the afterglow, at least for a few minutes.

“Well that answers a few questions I had.” Stewart says, stepping up besides Nick. Nick tears his eyes away from his lover, realizing that he just had sex with his girlfriend in front of her parents and about a score of her siblings.

“Oh hush Stu, I think it's romantic that they finished the ritual in the ancient way.” Bonnie steps up on his other side, she is no longer the goddess but simply a bunny, slightly chubby, her teats now covered by a pink flannel shirt. “He is aesir now, he drank the milk of life and affirmed his love before clan and kith.”

_'Holy shit, I had my girlfriend's mom's tit in my mouth!'_?

“They know I'm only joshing.” Stu says. Nick can't help but see that he still wears a sword belted to his waist, otherwise he is only wearing a loincloth. “But there is one more tradition to be fulfilled and in order to do that he does need to take his dick out of my baby girl.”

“Dad! Am I not allowed to bask in the afterglow at all!” Judy has a mock indignant tone to her voice, but she is already pulling off of Nick's cock. “Five minutes! You could have waited five minutes!”


	2. By the Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy have a talk with Stu and Bonnie about the Future

Nick held Judy in his lap, his paws wrapped loosely around her belly. Bonnie sat across from them while Stu was busy shooing the last of his brood out of the room. One of Judy's brothers, a litter-mate if Nick remembered correctly, was giving Nick a rather impressive death glare. He wasn't sure if it was sibling protectiveness or the type of casual speciesism he had faced his entire life.

“Judy, Nick, we are so happy that you you two finally confessed your relationship.” Bonnie smiled at them.

“So how long have you two been going out?” Stu stepped back to the couches.

“Um, well we went on our first date in November, so... eight months.”

“Is there some reason you didn't tell us before?” Bonnie asked.

Judy fidgeted in Nick's lap. “Because we weren't sure?” She twined her fingers into Nick's “We wanted to be sure about us before we put everything on our families.”

“Judy, sweetheart, we knew you two were together since the Yule festival.” Judy gaped at her mother, but Nick simply laid his chin between her ears.

“Darling, I think we should just tell them.” He felt his bunny tense in his arms, then slowly relax.

“Mom, Dad, we aren't just dating.” She leaned back into her fox, then tilted her head back. Nick took the clue and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Starting a week from next Wednesday, we will be living together.”

“Oh, okay. Stu be a sweetheart and get the family tome please?” As the patriarch got up from his seat he gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

“Sure thing Honey Bunny.”

“Nick, you said something in the grove. ‘She is half my soul’, I think it was. I don't know much about the fox gods, could you explain please.” Now it was Nick's turn to squirm.

“So I guess I should start from the beginning. _After Fox Mother created the foxes, she lamented to see that they did not cleave together as the other canides did. So she took from each of her creations half of their soul. For all others, when they love they break off a part of their soul and give it to their lover, and receive a part of their lover’s soul in return. For foxes, we give all of our half soul to our lover, and if they return the gift together they make one complete soul._ Other species call it soulmate, but that doesn't really explain what it means to us.”

“Oh Nick, that is one of the most romantic things I've ever heard!” Bonnie clutched her hands in front of her. “Stu, isn't that wonderful?”

Stu sat next to his wife and rubbed his chin across her shoulder. “I gave you my heart, Bon Bon, I like the idea I gave you a part of my soul too.” He gave his wife a kiss that she enthusiastically returned. “I promise Bonnie.”

“Promise.” Bonnie pulled back and turned to the book on the coffee table. “Oh good, you brought the concordance too.” She opened the larger book and began to quickly flip through the pages.

“Mrs Hopps? Can I ask what you are doing?”

“Call me Bonnie, dear.”

“Mom, what are you doing?”

Stu looked up from the slimmer tome. “Well, you crazy kids are planning to get married at some point right?” Nick started making choking sounds.

“Dad! We haven't even talked about that yet!”

“Would it really change anything, Carrots?” Nick shifted Judy sideways on his lap so he could look her in the eyes. “I already want to spend the rest of my life with you, this is just a ceremony. Or we could just continue like we are. Whatever makes you happy.”

“Nick, that was the worst proposal I have ever heard of!”

“Then I wasn't proposing. But I'm telling you we can have the conversation.” He cupped the side of her head, his paw covering the entire side of her head. “Let me know when you are ready.”

“Stu, what's another word for Fox?”

“If I may Bonnie, look for Tod, with one d, or Reynard.” Nick spelled the second for her and Bonnie nodded.

“Thank you, Nick.”

Stu flipped furiously through his volume. “Well, there are three entries for Reynard.”

“Okay, here we go. November 79, George H brought Reynard into clandath. April 85, Feast of Easter, Eugene H married to Mary S, Eve H married to Franklin T... there are about seven more marriages listed here, the feast is an auspicious time to marry, here we go, Reynard was feted in celebration of his vindication.”

Nick sat forward “Vindication? What was he vindicated of?”

“It doesn't say. This late in the tome it is mostly a list of marriages, births and deaths, but the fact that they included it means it was important. Here we go, the last entry.” Nick wrapped his arms tighter around Judy, from what Bonnie had just told him he knew what this entry would be and he was afraid of what it would say. “January 91, Reynard passed into the arms of Freyja at age 40, and in the customs of his people his stone was placed at the northern boundary.” Bonnie looked over at Stu. “I don't understand all of that.”

“Then I can help. Reynard is a term for a male fox, nowadays it is derogatory term but much more common in the past. Northern boundary is a tradition that is supposed to help a fox’s spirit find their way to the aurora. When a den buried a member of their clan they would walk north until they found a barrier like a cliff, a road or a river, then they would engrave a stone with the deceased's rune. It was the start of their journey to the den of heaven.” Nick rubbed one hand along Judy's side. “Does that help?”

Stu and Bonnie shared a look. “By 91 the clan had a daguerreotype, do you think that Cassie has gotten that far back in the archives yet?” Stu said excitedly, clutching at his wife's arm.

“He was feted by the clan for some sort of vindication, and in his death note he was welcomed into the arms of Freyja, so he was considered a full member of the cult.” Bonnie was slapping her paw against Stu's leg.

The two were lost in their rapid conversation, rapidly leaving Nick in the dust.

“Fluff, what in the name of Loxley are they doing?”

“I think they are planning our wedding.” Judy gave him a wry look.

“Then why are they talking about a fox who died one hundred and twenty five years ago?”

“They are proving that a fox was a full member of the cult and had all the right that come with that. Proving he wasn't just Clandath but he was recognized by Easter.” Judy wrapped her free arm around her fox’s neck. “Maybe we should take a walk?”

“Miss Hopps, I like the way you think.” Nick stood without letting Judy out of his lap, sweeping her into his arms. “Stu, Bonnie, we have to talk about a few things in private. If you need us we'll be raiding the blueberry patch.”

“Yes of course dear. Stu, if we can't find any photos in our archive maybe...”

Nick nuzzled against his bunny as he carried her outside, leaving the scheming rabbits to whatever machinations they would get up to. For now there was a promise of cool air, blueberries and a beautiful bunny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but at long last chapter 2!
> 
> No smut this time, just delicious world building.
> 
> Thanks to PartOfAWhole for editing!

**Author's Note:**

> So I had a strange Idea that the Hopps follow the ancient cult of Easter.
> 
> NIck and Judy are at a mid point of their relationship, and Nick is surprised to learn that her family holds some strange beliefs.
> 
> Some terms:   
> Keff: Spirit or breath, can also mean innermost being.   
> Aesir: Warrior caste in bronze age lapine culture.   
> Clandath: Sworn to the clan but not born to it, in modern times it means adopted  
> Freyja: Ancient name for Easter, goddess of earth, fertility and death.  
> Hel: Bunny devil, goddess of the underworld.
> 
> Nick is in over his head, what does his initiation into a bunny fertility cult mean? Why is her family so accepting of a fox son-in-law? Why is Judy such a prude in mystic springs but so open to public sex in front of her family?
> 
> These questions and more are answered in part 2!


End file.
